Pandemic Kindness Persists: A New Era of Generosity and Wellbeing
Recent findings from the annual World Happiness Report illuminate an unexpected outcome of the Covid-19 pandemic: a sustained increase in acts of kindness that has eclipsed pre-pandemic levels. In 2024, the report highlights that donations and volunteerism are now considerably more frequent across all generations and nearly all global regions, with levels measuring over 10% higher compared to the prepandemic era. While there has been a slight decrease from the record high of 2023, the data reflects an average increase of 18% in helping strangers when compared to before the pandemic began.
Professor Lara Aknin, a Canadian social psychologist and one of the report’s editors, notes that the sharp uptick in the number of individuals reporting help to strangers first emerged in 2020 and has remained significant ever since. "Many people possess an intrinsic desire to assist others, but often hesitate, fearing they might overstep," she explains. The pandemic revealed just how essential support from neighbors and friends can be, prompting a collective shift in perspective. Aknin suggests that the heightened awareness of others’ needs, coupled with the emotional benefits derived from altruism, may have fostered a lasting commitment to benevolence among individuals.
The report's findings on benevolence are striking, particularly as they reveal that the increases in generous actions have endured for multiple years following the pandemic's onset. With the report releasing its findings well into 2024, it underscores the significance and continuity of this benevolence trend, indicating potential for its further entrenchment in societal behavior.
Moreover, the report examined other aspects of kindness and social connectivity. For instance, in a study analyzing how often lost wallets are returned, results showed that the actual return rates were significantly higher than people's expectations, an encouraging sign for human generosity. Notably, wallets containing money were twice as likely to be returned, showcasing the innate kindness that individuals often underestimate in their communities.
The importance of shared experiences in enhancing wellbeing also emerged as a key theme. The report emphasizes that sharing meals significantly correlates with improved life satisfaction and social support across various demographics. However, a concerning trend noted is the rising prevalence of dining alone, especially among younger populations, with a reported 53% increase in solitary dining in the United States since 2003. This shift has contributed to the decline of the country in happiness rankings.
The World Happiness Report ranked the happiness of 147 nations and found Nordic countries leading the pack, with Finland taking the top spot for the eighth consecutive year. Costa Rica and Mexico also made notable entries into the top 10, while the United States slipped to its lowest ranking at 24th, closely followed by the UK at 23rd. This drop marks a significant decline from previous years, positioning the US among the first time that none of the major industrialized nations features in the top 20 of the happiness rankings.
Declines in happiness and social trust within Europe and the US have fueled rising political polarizations and anti-establishment sentiments, underpinning the importance of fostering community and connection amidst societal estrangement. Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, director at the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre and another report editor, encourages readers to shift their focus away from conventional metrics such as health and wealth. Instead, he argues that fostering trust and communal meals can be more potent influencers of wellbeing. In light of ongoing social isolation and political divides, creating opportunities to gather and share experiences is seen as a crucial step towards improving both individual and collective wellbeing.
As we move further from the pandemic, the World Happiness Report suggests a society that has more profound insights into the emotional rewards of kindness and community involvement, presenting us with the challenge and opportunity to maintain and elevate this newfound spirit of generosity.
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